Hello and Welcome to the Shocking Gasp homepage! You'll find anything you need to know about the cast, characters, and more right here! But first, some basics:

Shocking Gasp is a serialized actual play D&D 5e podcast focusing on a balance between comedic and dramatic character roleplaying.

Synopsis: When an enigmatic being falls from the sky, four strangers investigate and find themselves on the run from a superhuman force. Now they must fight for their survival while attempting to unravel the mystery of who the being was and why they’re being hunted.

Our $5 "Unexpected Exhale" and higher tiers have access to a quarterly private Q&A session with the Shocking Gasp cast on our Discord server. Sunday, March 29th at 2pm EDT is the first time we will hold that session and it will last for one hour. During that time we hope to hear and answer any questions our fans have about the show, the cast, or D&D in general.

We were pretty excited for it, but somehow something felt...off.

We realized that more and more of the world is being forced into isolated quarantine due to the Coronavirus. It can be very difficult to keep optimistic in a time like this, especially if you can't go out to meet with friends. So to help fight that, we have decided to open the Q&A and our server up to not only all Patrons, but anyone anywhere who cares to join. We know we're just a small show and this event is just an hour, but hopefully we can brighten someone's day in that time. Maybe even help people find other people and forge new friendships. Or maybe not. But we have to try.

If you're a Patron, you should already have an invite link to our Discord. If not, or if you lost the link, please feel free to click below and join us. The chat channel is open now. We hope you'll join us. We can get through this, together.

The Shocking Break is at an end! Regular episodes of SG will return in January 7th and 21st! Yay! We know everyone is excited! Check below for our Q1 2020 giveaway announce­ment. Also, we thought it would be cool to provide a 2019 ‘Year-End-Summary’ for all of our investors:

For this we would specifically like to thank our final list of OG Patrons (those who hold the tremendous honor of being our first big supporters, good or bad):

It's almost the end of 2019! As we say goodbye to our first year in production, we leave you with one final news update.

Patreon Tiers Revealed

The Patreon is officially live and ready for business! As a special bonus in December, we are going to release two of the Campfire episodes and one of our pre-generated adventure modules at no charge! The module will be a copy of the "Temple of the Lizardfolk" adventure that's based on the Episode 3 & 4 dungeon. You know, the one where the gang rescued Vantajar from the swamp temple after they put the blood back in. Anyone who joins in 2019 will receive special "OG Patron" status, which will earn you special benefits and rewards in the future!

Comfortable Sigh$1, $3, $5 or more per month

We realize people have different financial situations, so we have created the Comfortable Sigh tier with three different donation levels so you can choose the price that fits your budget. We appreciate the support you give us no matter what. Thank you.

Benefits at this tier include:

Discord text chat access

Shout out on the show upon joining

Sticker & signed thank you letter

Unexpected Inhale$10 or more per month

You have surprised us with your kindness and support, and that deserves a show of thanks. At this tier you'll unlock a few monthly benefits as well as a quarterly bonus. This will be delivered at the end of each quarter (March, June, September, December).

Benefits Include:

All previous tier benefits

A monthly Campfire Episode detailing a short story involving the main characters, each other, and/or an NPC (Single Episode, 15-30 mins)

A quarterly written one-shot D&D campaign based in our world. Will generally run parallel to the main storyline and will include all the information needed to run your D&D group through a short session in Telunor.

Quarterly access to a Discord-based live Q&A with the cast. We’re currently not supporting video streams, but that may change in the future. This tier will be grandfathered into that.

Surprising Respiration$20 or more per month

Our minds have been blown! This level of support is the stuff of legend, and you run the risk of melting our eyeballs out of their sockets with your pure awesome sauce. In an effort to appease the beast that is your hunger for more Shocking Gasp, we offer several mega quarterly rewards. These will be delivered at the end of each quarter (March, June, September, December).

Benefits Include:

All previous tier benefits

A quarterly Swag Bag of goodies hand-picked by the Shocking Gasp cast

A quarterly mini arc episode wherein we play the one-shot adventure released in the previous tier (2-3 hours long)

Work directly with Scott the Dungeon Heckler to create an NPC, town, magic item, or other permanent entity within the show

December Salestravaganza!

Our TeePublic store will be having a continuous sale from December 1st through December 18th! All items will be up to 35% off during that time. This is the perfect chance to buy your grandma that Tilly sweatshirt she's always wanted, or to get ahead of 2020's hot fashion trends by securing your Scott the Dungeon Heckler iPhone case now.

D&D News Article

This article really warms us because it not only highlights our favorite tabletop game, it suggests that humans are using the game to reconnect in a way that doesn’t involve a phone or an app. Additionally, D&D has been therapeutically helpful in casting heal on those who struggle with social anxiety, autism, and ADHD. With the addition of the 5e ruleset, the game has become more accessible to a wider audience. It truly is a wonderful game and one of the things we look forward to in our lives.

Year End Thank You's

These are the folks that offered us tons of support this year and helped us grow to be who and what we are. Thank you all so much for the constant support. We love and appreciate each of you so very much!

That's it, everyone! 2019 has been a wild ride. We saw the podcast grow to where it is now, averaging 200+ downloads per listen with an all-time total of 9,500+ downloads. That's really cool and we have you to thank. So even if you're not on the list above, please know we still cherish and love you. Thank you so much!

Hello Shocking Gasp fans! It's time for another news update, coming in just a teeeeeeny bit late (sorry!).

Convention Schedule

The year is winding down, but there's one more chance for you to meet us at a convention. The entire cast will be attending AcadeCon in Dayton, Ohio on November 9th. Scott the DM will be hosting two events named "Temple of the Lizardfolk" based on the Episode 3 & 4 dungeon. As of this writing, only the 4pm session has seats open, so act fast if you wanna play!

The convention road map is wide open for next year. If you're attending a Con and would like to see us there, let us know! We're totaly open to getting out more and meeting all you wonderful people! As of right now, chances are very high that we'll attend the following:

Patreon Completion Update

Patreon changed their fee schedule a few months back, and anyone who entered would be grandfathered in on the old (read: better) rates. So we made a Patron with a lone (read: minimum) $1 no reward tier. ​From the start, we told ourselves we wouldn't push a Patreon until we had fans asking for one. We had the account so we'd have the better deal, but it wouldn't be used until you, the fans, told us it was time.

Well, here we are a year in and we've had two fans go and join all on their own! And we've had a few more be very vocal in their intended support should we make one. So it looks like it's time to put it to use!

New tiers will be uploaded next month. Potential rewards include swag bags, bonus content episodes, access to our Discord server, and more! We've put a lot of thought and hard work into it and we hope you all enjoy what we have to offer. Keep your eyes and ears open in the next few weeks for more details!

Newsletter

​We have an official monthly newsletter! if you're interested in receiving this, please visit our website and subscribe under the Contact section. The newsletter will contain all the same information we put in our monthly Shocking News episode with a little more detail. We'll also include a section with news from the industry to help you see more of what's going on outside of our little show.

Break Announcement

​Shocking Gasp will be releasing limited episodes during November and December. We'll use the time to work ahead and retool some of our background processes.

We're not going to blame it all on Jake's new baby, but it is 100% Jake's new baby's fault.

Just kidding. Holidays are a busy time for everyone, and we're not sure we'll have time to record, edit, and release on schedule. Plus, podcasting is hard and we just kinda want a break. Our plan is to release a few teasers for the bonus content you can expect from the Patreon, so we're not leaving you completely high and dry.

We hope you understand, and thank you in advance for your continued support. You truly are some of the best fans we could hope for. We love you all!

Pretty cool, right? We thought so, too. But it doesn't stop there! All entrants will also receive a complimentary promotional code to our merchandise store! How do you enter this glorious giveaway, you ask? It's easy! Head over to our One Year Giveaway page and follow the instructions. As you'll see, we've added a little Shocking Quiz that will net you an additional entry per correct answer. So go back and brush up on your episode knowledge now!

Contest Begins: September 1, 2019

Contest Ends: October 1, 2019

Winner Announced: October 15, 2019

​​Legal Note: Unfortunately, for law-abiding reasons, we cannot allow anyone aged 13 and under to participate in the giveaway. It is also only open to residents of the United States.

Shocking Symposium

That's right, it's time for another Shocking Symposium. If you're unfamiliar, this is when you, the audience, have the chance to submit questions to us, the Shocking Cast, and we'll answer them in a special Q&A style episode. The Symposium will air on October 15 and will include our announcement of the One Year Giveaway winner. You can submit your questions for the Symposium via the following:

Convention Schedule

Origins and GenCon are behind us, and 2019 is nearing its end, but that doesn't mean we're finished with our convention visits just yet! There are at least two more stops on our agenda for the year: AcadeCon and CinCityCon. If you're in the area or are planning on visiting one of these two conventions, we'd love for you to find us and say "Hello!" We'll have stickers and some other little knick-knacks to hand out to any friendly faces! Unfriendly faces will have to listen to a How to be Happy lesson from Gunny.

Also, Scott the DM will be running at least two sessions at both events. So if you're feeling adventurous, search the Events list and sign up soon!

CinCityCon is Cincinnati’s largest and most exciting tabletop gaming convention. Started in 2018, CinCityCon takes place the second weekend in October at the Sharonville Convention Center. CinCityCon expects to draw over 1000 unique attendees this year (over 2500 turnstile). CinCityCon is most famous for the Ginormous Library of over 2000 games, free to all attendees.

AcadeCon grew directly out of our podcast The RPG Academy, so originally our con was called The RPG AcadeCon which was a mixture of Academy & Convention. Now it’s just shortened to AcadeCon. In addition to scheduled and pick up RPG/Board/Card games – we also will have panels on game design and DMing/GMing games. We will have live podcast events, live Entertainment events like an improv comedy show, and a live session of Geek Wars Trivia hosted by The DungeonMaster’s Block Podcast.

Merch Store Sale Dates

If you listened to the most recent episodes (C1E18 - Shots ft. KneeCoalWoody and C1E19 - The Final Countdown), then you know the Deitouched are fighting in the Challenge of Champions. The Challenge is, of course, a grant competition to find the best of the best of the best (sir!) adventurers in Telunor. The prize? The coveted right to Citizenship in Solarion.

But what of the history of the Challenge? And, more importantly, what if you wanted to run the Challenge in your own group? What are the rules? Click "Read More" to find out!

In honor of Stephanie's 30th birthday, we’re hosting another giveaway!

​Steve, Stephanie, and I all visited Las Vegas and decided to check out their oldest and largest game store, the Little Shop of Magic. It’s a really neat store and we recommend you check it out if you’re in the area (you should also check out Koma Sushi next door for some super yummy sushi, but that’s beside the point). While we were at the store we saw they had some cool swag emblazoned with their logo, and we decided to snatch it all up for the giveaway. Up for grabs are a drink Koozie, patch, tote bag, and two Shop of Magic 24th anniversary d6’s.

So how can you enter? You can have up to three entries, one each on Twitter, Facebook, and Reddit. Click those links to be taken to their respective entry posts. The winner will be chosen at random and announced on the May 28th episode.

Good luck!

​- Scott the Dungeon Heckler

UPDATE: Congrats to Megan Drehmel for winning the contest! Thank you to everyone who entered! Be sure to keep an eye open on our News page or Facebook and Twitter for more upcoming giveaways!

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ABOUT US

​Shocking Gasp is a serialized actual play D&D 5e podcast. When an enigmatic being falls from the sky, four strangers investigate and find themselves on the run from a superhuman force. Now they must fight for their survival while attempting to unravel the mystery of who the being was and why they’re being hunted. New episodes released every other week on Tuesday at 6am EST. First time listeners advised to start at Episode 1 - Livin’ On a Prayer